- To start planning something again because the previous attempt failed or was rejected.
Explanation
Origin
- Literally refers to the drawing board used by architects, designers, and engineers.
- If a design or plan was flawed or rejected, they had to go back to the drawing board to start over.
- Popularized during WWII, possibly from a cartoon caption.
Synonyms & Related Expressions
Alternatives
Slang/Informal:
- Scrap it and start again
- Total reset
- Back to basics
Vulgar/Emphatic:
- This is fucked, gotta start over.
- Scrap this shit.
Milder/Formal:
- We need to reconsider our approach.
- Let's revisit the initial planning phase.
- A fundamental rethink is required.
Situational Appropriateness
- Informal to Formal.
- Widely accepted and understood in professional, academic, and personal contexts.
Misunderstanding Warnings
- Unlikely to be misunderstood, as the context of failure usually makes the meaning clear.
Examples
- The client hated the proposal, so it's back to the drawing board for us.
- Our experiment failed; we need to go back to the drawing board and rethink our hypothesis.
- Well, that didn't work. Back to the drawing board!
Dialogue
Manager: The focus group results for the new ad campaign were terrible.
Employee: Really? They didn't like the concept at all?
Manager: Nope. It completely missed the mark. Looks like it's back to the drawing board.
Employee: Okay. Let's schedule a brainstorm session for tomorrow morning then.
Social Media Examples
- Tweet: Well, the prototype didn't perform as expected in testing. Back to the drawing board! #engineering #failfast #innovation
- Instagram Story (Text over a picture of messy notes): Grant application rejected. 😩 Back to the drawing board... #researchlife #academia
- LinkedIn Post: Our initial market strategy didn't yield the desired results. Time to go back to the drawing board, analyze the data, and pivot. #businessstrategy #learning
Response Patterns
- Oh no, what went wrong?
- Okay, let's figure out a new plan.
- That's frustrating.
- What are the key issues we need to address?
- Right, where do we start?
Common Follow-up Questions/Actions
After someone says back to the drawing board:
- Ask what the specific problems were with the failed attempt.
- Start brainstorming new ideas or approaches.
- Discuss lessons learned from the failure.
- Schedule a meeting to replan.
Conversation Starter
- No. It's a response to failure, indicating the next step.
Intonation
- Stress often falls on back and drawing board.
- Can be said with resignation, frustration, or sometimes determination. BACK to the DRAWING board.
Generation Differences
- Common across most adult generations, though the literal drawing board is less common now.
Regional Variations
- Universal in English-speaking countries.